Gemotions

The request was a casual aside, a fleeting comment about sunlight and property values. But Thomas felt the blood drain from his face. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against a silent void.

He couldn't meet his neighbor's eyes. Instead, his gaze fixated on the cracked paving stones at his feet, as though he could find the answer to the unspoken catastrophe buried within them. His chest grew tight, making it difficult to breathe.

"But… but the birds," he choked out, his voice barely audible. He pictured the nests, the fledglings, the whole cycle of life, rendered meaningless in the face of a single, thoughtless act. He couldn't understand.